NFL Player News

Jefferson almost certainly would have had a much bigger statistical effort had the Giants put up any fight whatsoever on the other side. As it was, J-Jeff had to settle for a 44-yard drop-in-the-bucket dime from Sam Darnold and three-yard score on a second quarter fourth down where Darnold nailed Jefferson on a slant. The other big development today was Jordan Addison re-injuring his ankle. That further enhances Jefferson’s targets outlook, though the 49ers are a tough Week 2 matchup.

O’Connell didn’t say how long McCarthy would play, but he did confirm that the second-year signal-caller will see the field for the first time since his preseason debut last season. McCarthy has had a strong training camp by most reports, and enters the season as the unquestioned QB1 with Sam Darnold now in Seattle. We wouldn’t expect McCarthy to play more than a few series before giving way to the backups, but it will be good to see him in action for the first time since his knee surgery.

Speaking with the media, Campbell said of Rakestraw’s injury, “Hate it for the kid. It’s not his fault. Just one of those tough deals.” While Campbell stopped short of saying Rakestraw’s injury was considered a serious one, the tone he struck suggests the second-year corner may miss some time. We’ll know for sure when the team reports back with what they learned through the evaluations, but even if it’s a minor injury, it’s hard to ignore the myriad of injuries that have plagued Rakestraw since entering the league last year. We’ll check back in with an update on Rakestraw’s status when one is provided.

Allbright’s answer was spurred by a question online that asked, “Who looks better at RB? Dobbins or Harvey?” It’s not all that surprising a response from Allbright, given what we know about both running backs running with the first-team offense, and Harvey’s struggles in pass protection were one of the knocks against him throughout the pre-draft process. Fantasy managers hoping for a big rookie season out of Harvey may need to temper expectations early on if Dobbins opens the season as the RB1, but we’d expect both to make an impact for the offense this season.

The key words here are “unofficial depth chart.” The No. 2 overall pick in this year’s draft is expected to see plenty of work on both sides of the ball, but as the Jags prepare for their first game of live action on Saturday against the Steelers, it sounds like their plan will be to run Hunter out with the first team offense. We would assume based on his spot on the defensive depth chart that he will still play some defensive snaps as well, but it wouldn’t be surprising if the Jaguars keep him on a very strict snap count in his first game.

According to The Athletic’s Daniel Popper, Harbaugh did not say whether or not a deal will be reached between the two sides. Allen spent last season with the Bears, catching 70 passes for 744 yards and seven touchdowns. The long-time Charger would likely find himself in a starting role should he reunite with his former team, but was reported to have “multiple teams” interested in his services as recently as two weeks ago. We’ll see if anything materializes from this visit in the coming days. It’s worth noting that NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported later that there are still “strong feelings between Allen and the organization.”

The rookie tight end has turned in a solid training camp and is reportedly emerging as a receiving threat in the Jets’ passing game. We’ll know more about the specifics of his injury on Tuesday when head coach Aaron Glenn speaks to the media, but for now, this is something worth monitoring. Taylor is unlikely to have much fantasy upside in his rookie season, but the thin receiving corps behind Garrett Wilson could leave more targets for the taking than expected.

This doesn’t sound great, but even less encouraging is Harbaugh’s unwillingness to put a timeline on Harris’ return. Harris suffered an eye injury during a fireworks mishap on the Fourth of July and has yet to participate in training camp. The Chargers continue to suggest that Harris is “doing better every day,” but until he returns to the field, it’s difficult to gauge his readiness from a football perspective. As long as Harris stays sidelined, rookie Omarion Hampton stands to benefit the most from his absence and could find himself in a high-volume role as early as Week 1. We’ll see over time if Harris’ laps around the field help speed up his return or not.

Guerendo continues to struggle to stay healthy. After injuries ended his 2024 campaign, Guerendo will now miss time with a shoulder injury that may or may not threaten his availability for Week 1. While we would hope he would be ready by September 7th, when the 49ers visit the Seahawks, Shanahan’s saying Guerendo’s absence will be “a few weeks” leaves plenty open for interpretation. If Guerendo is unable to be ready for the start of the season, backup running back duties would presumably go to Jordan James, who was selected by the 49ers in the fifth round of this year’s draft.

Williams spent six seasons with the Bengals but was let go at the end of last season. The veteran back did not log an offensive stat in 2024 and signed with the Patriots this offseason. He was let go by the Patriots on July 30th and will now land with the Browns in hopes of competing for a spot on the 53-man roster. Williams’ largest contributions have come on special teams throughout his career. He’ll be a long shot to make the roster.

This news comes on the same day that Shedeur Sanders (arm) returned to practice. Gabriel, who the Browns selected in the third round of this year’s draft, is “competing” for the Browns’ QB1 job, but reports of his performance out of camp have been largely underwhelming. Whether or not Gabriel will be ready for the Browns’ first preseason game against the Panthers is unknown at this time, but if he’s feeling well-enough to play, we should see plenty of Gabriel in his pro debut.